Operating means



May 1927 A. H. STEBBIN'S OPERATING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed My 14, 1926 A TTORNEY May 10, 1921. 1,527,578

A. H. STEBBINS OPERATING MEANS Filed May 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Shet 2 a? I I VENTOR ATTORNEY Fatented May 10, 1927.

ALBERT I-I. S'IEBBINS, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

OPERATING MEANS.

Application filed May 14., 1926. Serial No. 109,183.

This invention relates to means for positively moving concentrator decks, screens, or other devices, supported for vibratory movement back and forth with a progressive vibratory movement.

Various efforts have been made heretofore to devise a simple, durable construction for imparting a progressive vibratory movement to concentrator decks, screens and other devices, but, due largely to the exacting nature of the movement required to effect many separating operations, difficulty has been experienced heretofore in devising means that will produce the desired movement.

The nature of the movement required by many concentrator decks is particularly exacting, because the movement is frequently employed to advance the materials being treated over the deck surface, and also to effect separation of the materials by causing the heavier particles to work down under the lighter particles or tailings, while at the same time the movement should not be sufficiently energetic to disturb the stratification of the materials.

One important feature of the present invention therefore relates to a. simple, durad6 form of operating means for moving a frame, deck or other device to be vibrated back and forth with a positive movement that gradually increases in speed in one direction ant gradually decreases in speed in the opposite direct-ion.

A more specific feature of the invention resides in the construction whereby an arm or rocking element is positively rocked back and forth through a limited angle, and connections extending from the rocking-arm or element to the frame to be vibrated serve to move the frame back and forth with a positive accelerated movement in one direc-' tion and a negative accelerated movement in the opposite direction. The arrangement of the parts is such that the frame to be vibrated is moved back and forth by a single rocking arm or element, and the angular movement of the arm with respect to a plane passing through its pivot point is utilized to impart a variable speed movement to the frame. 1

Another feature of the invention resides in the construction whereby the frame to be vibrated is positively pulled back and forth by a pair of oppositely extending cables both ofwhich are tensioned and slacked ofi' by the same off-set port-ion upon the rocking arm or element.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the means for positively rocking the actuating arm or element back and forth.

Other features of the invention and novel combination of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one good practical form of the in-- vention In the drawings F ig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine having a frame supported for back and forth movement, and provided with operating means constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the operating parts of Fig. 1, the vibratory frame being omitted;

Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale is a sectional view through the main operating shaft showing the means for tensioning and slacking off the frame operating cables;

Fig. 4 is a side view showing certain parts of Fig. 1 in the position they occupy when the vibratory frame is at the right hand end of its stroke; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of Fig. 2, the means for connecting the upper end of the operating cables to the frame being omitted.

The frame 10, which is shown as supported for vibratory movement in the direction of its length, may constitute the supporting structure for a concentrator deck, screen, or other device to which it is desired to impart a-progressive vibratory movement.

Any suitable construction may be employed to support the frame 10 for back and forth movement, and the means shown to this end in the drawings com-prises a supporting base consisting of the longitudinal ly extending rails 11 which are secured to the uprights 12, and at the upper end of the uprights 12 are provided the bearing blocks 13 which are provided with elongated recesses adapted to receive the balls or rollers 14. 'The upper portions of these balls or rollers extend into groovesformed in the upper bearing blocks 15 which are secured to the under face of the'supporting frame 10.

The frame 10 is positively pulled in the left-hand direction by the cable 15, and it is positively pulled in the right-hand direction by the cable 16. Each of these cables has a pipe or rod 17 secured to its upper end'and these pipes extend through hollow brackets 18 that are rigidly secured to the under face of the frame 10. The connection between the cables 15 and 16 and the frame 10 may be varied as desired by adjusting the nuts 19 provided upon the threaded rods 17, and the inner ends of these two rods are preferably connected by a turn buckle 20 so that the pull upon one rod 17 will be transmitted directly to the other rod.

The cable 15 has an intermediate portion looped about a grooved sheave 21 which is rotatably supported by a shaft 22, which shaft is supported by the brackets 23 secured to the supporting structure. The cable 15 extends from the lower portion of the sheave 21 about a grooved idle sheave 241 which will be hereinafter more fully described, and the cable upon passing around this sheave 2e has its lower end anchored to a cross beam 25 of the supporting structure. The means shown for securing the lower end of the cable 15 to the cross beam 25 consists of a tube or rod 26 which is adjustably secured to the cross beam by the nuts 27.

The cable 16 which serves to pull the frame 10 in a right-hand direction 1 looped about a grooved sheave 28 that is supported by a transversely attending shaft 2.9 the ends of which are supported by brackets 30 secured to the supporting structure. The portion of the cable 16 which e2;- tends from the lower side of the sheave28 is looped about the opposite side of-the idle sheave 2 1, it being understood that this sheave is provided with two cable receiving grooves, as will be apparent from Figs. 2 and 5. The lower end portion of the cable 16 extends from the lower side of the sheave 2 1 to an anchoring bolt 31 the end of which is adjustably secured to a transversely extending bar 32 of the supporting structure.

From the construction so far described it will be seen that the cable 15 is looped about one side of the idle sheave 2 1 anjdextends therefrom in a left-hand direction to the sheave 21, whereas the cable 16 is looped about the opposite side of the sheave 24: and extends in a right-hand direction to the sheave 28. It will be apparent from this construction that if the sheave 24-. is moved in either a right-hand or left-hand direction, viewing Fig; 1 it will serve to slack off one cable and tension the other to thereby move the frame 10 back and forth.

As above stated, an important feature of the present invention resides in the construction whereby the frame 10 is moved back and forth with a progresive vibratory movement, and in order to impart this progressive movement to the frame 10, the sheave 2% should be moved so that it will impart a positive accelerated movement to one of the actuating cables and a negative accelerated movement to the other cable. In accordance with the present invention, this is accomplished by mounting the sheave so that it is moved through a relatively small are about a pivot point which in the present case constitutes the main or crank shaft 33. The means for supporting the sheave 2e and imparting the desired rocking movement thereto might be variously constructed, and in the construction shown the shear 24 is journaled upon a stub shaft 34: the ends of which are rigidly secured to the grooved sheave-- like elements 35 and 36, which elements are rigidly secured to the main shaft 33 in spaced relation to each other, as will be apparent from Figs. 2 and 5. I

The frame operating cables 15 and 16 may be alternately tensioned and slacked ed by rocking the shaft 33 so that it will move the sheaves 24 upwardly from the position shown in Fig.' 1 and then back to the position shown in this figure; that is, by rocking the shaft 33 to move the sheave-24c back and forth between the full line position and dotted line position of Fig. 3. In the construction shown the arrangement is such that when the sheave 24: is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, the cable 16 is tensioned to pull the frame 10 to the end of its stroke in a right hand direction; whereas when the sheave 24 is moved to the dotted line position of Fig. 3 the cable 15 is te nsioned to pull the frame 10 to the end of its stroke in a left-hand direction.

It is important to note that as thesheave is moved back and forth through a small are relative to a horizontal plane passing through the axis of the shaft it will actuate the cable 16 at a speed which increases as the sheave 24 approaches the full line position of Fig. 3; whereas it will actuate the cable 15 at a speed which decreases as the sheave 2 lapproaches its dotted line position of 3. This is due to the fact that as the axis of the sheave 24 approaches the horizontal line a of Fig. 3, that is a position in which it is moving in a direction substantially at right angles to the portions of the cable 15 and 16 that extend toward the sheaves 21 and 28, is let-off actiou upon one cable and take-up action upon the other cable decreases. On the other hand, as the movement of the sheave 2 1 approaches the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 its take-up action upon the cable 16 and let-off action upon the cable 15 increases as its direction of movement approaches a path which is parallel to the line a. It will therefore be seen that in accordance with the present invention the angular movement of the sheave 25%; about the axis of the shaft 33 is employed to impart a variable speed movement to the frame 10.

The construction shown whereby each of the cables 15 and 16 has an intermediate portion looped about the idle sheave 24 and has one end anchored to the supporting structure, is highly desirable because as a result of this construction the movement imparted to the upper ends of the cables 15 and 16 will be equal to approximately twice the movement of the idle sheave 24 in a horizontal direction; that is, since each of the cables 15 and 16 is anchored at one end and has an intermediate portion looped about the sheave 24, movement of this sheave in a direction to tension one of the cables will impart to the portion of this cable which is free a travel that is double the horizontal movement imparted to the sheave. It therefore follows that a relatively small movement of the sheave 24 to tension and slack off the cables 15 and 16 will impart the desired amount of movement to the frame 10. It is not essential, however, that the cables 15 and 16 be anchored at one end, as herein shown, since obviously other constructions might be employed whereby rocking movement of the stub shaft 34 about the axis of the shaft 35 would serve to tension and slack off the cables 15 and 16.

Various means might be employed for rocking the shaft 33 back and forth through a limited angle, and the means employed to this end in accordance with the present invention consists of the power actuated cables 37 and 38. The cable 37 has its upper end anchored to a transversely extending beam 39 of the supporting structure by the adjustable bolt 40, and an intermediate portion of this cable is looped about a grooved sheave 41 which is mounted upon an eccentric 42 that is rigidly secured to and is driven by the power shaft 43. The opposite end portion of the cable 37 extends part way around the grooved sheave like element 35, and its end is secured to this element by the clamp 44. Theremaining cable 38 has its lower end anchored to the transverselyextending beam 25 of the supporting structure by the bolt 45, and an intermediate portion of the cable 38 is looped about a grooved sheave 46 which is mounted upon a second eccentric 47 rigidly secured to the power shaft 43. The upper end portion of the cable 38 extends part way around the grooved sheave-like element 36 and the end of this cable is rigidly secured to the element 36 by the clamp 48. The eccentrics 42 and 47 which are rigidly secured to the power shaft 43 are disposed at 180 to each other, and this shaft. may be rotated by the usual pulley not shown. The arrangement is such that when the shaft 43 is rotated the eccentrics 42 and 47 will rotate within their respective sheaves 41 and 46 to alternately tension and slack off the cables 37 and 38. This will serve to positively rock the shaft 33 back and forth through a limited angle to tension and slack off the frame operating cables 15 and 16. The Power cable 38 serves to pull the idle sheave 24 towards the horizontal plane, and thiscauses the idle sheave to deliver a movement to the frame 10 in a left-hand 'direction'which is fast at the start, but which decreases in speed as the sheave 24 approaches the horizontal position. The power cable 37 serves to pull the idle sheaves 24 from the dotted line position of Fig. 3 to the full line position of this figure, to thereby move the frame 10 in a right-hand direction with a gradually increasing speed. It should be noted that the rocking movement of the shaft 33 is at all times under the positive control of the power cables 37, 38, and that since one cable is taken up at the same speed at which the other cable is let off, both cables are kept sufficiently taut to control the rocking movement of the shaft 33.

In the operation of the present device the arrangement of the cables 15 and 16 and the means for tensioning and slacking off these cables should be such that one of the cables connected to the frame 10 will be let off at the same rate at which the other is taken up. If the idle sheave 24 should be moved through a large arc of a circle such movement would exert an excessive tension upon the cables 15 and 16 as these cables are displaced from a straight line extending from the lower face of the sheave 21 to the lower face of the sheave 28, but if the sheave 24 is moved through a relatively small angle, as in the present case the strain upon these cables will not be excessive.

The effect of the lateral movement of the sheave 24 upon the tension of the cables 15 and 16 may be reduced to a minimum by so positioning the shaft 33 with respect to a line extending from the lower face of the sheave 21'to the sheave 28 that the upper face of the sheave 24 will lie tangent to said line when it occupies a position half way between the end of the arc through which it travels. This arrangement of the shaft 33 will be better understood upon reference to Fig. 3 of the drawing wherein it will be seen that the cable 16 is inclined to the horizontal in one direction when the sheave 24 is in the full line position and is inclined to the horizontal in the opposite direction when the sheave 24 is in the dotted line position.

What is claimed is 1. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a shaft having acable actuating portion off-set from the axis of the shaft in the direction in which one ofthecables connected to said portion extends from the same, a pair of cables extending in opposite directions from said portion to the frame, and means for rocking said portion through a limited angle lli) to and from the maximum left-off position of one of said cables to thereby actuate the cables so that the-y pull the frame back and forth with a progressive movement.

2. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a shaft having a cable actuating portion off-set from the axis of the shaft, a pair of cables extending in opposite directions from said portion to the frame to actuate the latter, means for rocking said portion through a limited angle to and from the pointin which said portion occupies the position of maximua left-off movement with respect to one cable while at the same time it occupies the position of maximum take-up movement with respect to the other cable, to thereby move the frame back and forth with progressive movement.

3. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame con'iprising a shaft having a. cable actuating portion off-set from the axis of the shaft, a pair of cables ex;- tending in opposite directions from said portion to the frame to actuate the latter, and means for rocking said portion through a limited angle to and from the position of maximum left-off movement f r one of the cables, to thereby let off one cable and take up the other with a decreasing speed as the portion approaches said maximum left-off position, and to take the first cable and letoff the second with an increasing speed as said portion approaches its position of me i mum movement in the opposite direction.

4. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for positively pulling the frame in one direction with an incre ing speed and for positively pulling the frame in the opposite direction with a decreasing speed to thereby impart progressive movement to the frame, comprising a shaft having a cable a ctuat-ing portion off-set from the axis of the shaft, a pair of cables extending in opposite directions from said off-set portion to the frame, and means for rocking said portion through a limited angle to pull the cables back and forth with a speed that increases in one direction and decreases in the opposite direction.

5. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for positively pulling the frame in one direction with an increasing; speed and for positively pulling the frame in the opposite direction with decreasing speed to thereby impart a progressive movement to the frame, comprising; a shaft having a cable actuating portion ofi-se-t from the axis of the shaft, a pair of cables extending in opposite directions from said off-set portion to the frame, and means for rocking said portion to and from the position of maximum cable let-off position with respect to one cable through an angle of not over 6. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a shaft having a cable actuating portion oH-set from the axis of the shaft, a sheave rotatably mounted upon said off-set portion, a pair of cables passing around said sheave and extending in opposite directions from the sheave to the frame, and means for l'OCkiIlg' the off-set portion through a limited angle about said shaft to pull the frame back and forth by tBIlSlUlb int; and slacking off the cables.

i'. In combination with a frame support ed for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a shaft having a cable actuating portion off-set from the axis of the shaft, a sheave rotatably mounted upon said off-set portion, a pair of cables each having one end anchored and the other end tecur'ed to said frame while an intermediate portion of each cable is looped about said sheave, and means for rocking the off-set portion through a limited angle about said shaft to pull the frame back and forth by tensioning; and slacking 0d the cables.

87 In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a shaft havinn: :1 cable actuating portion off-set from the axis of the shaft, a sheave rotatably mounted upon said off-set portion, pair of cables each having one end anchored and the other end secured to said frame while an intermediate portion of one cable is looped about one side of said sheave and an intermediate portion of the other cable is looped about the opposite side of the sheave, and means for rocking the oif-set portion through a limited angle about said shaft to pull the frame back and forth by tensioning and slacking off said cables.

9 In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a shaft havin a cable actuating portion elf-set from the axis of the shaft, a pair of cables extending in opposite directions from the off-set portion to the frame, and means for rocking the off-set portion through a limited angle to tension and slack off the cables, comprising a power operated shaft provided with two eccentrics, means operated by one eccentric to pull the off-set portion in one direction, and means operated by the other eccentric to pull the off-set portion in the opposite direction.

10. In combination with a framesupported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a. rocking shaft, means for positively rocking the shaft back and forth, comprising a power shaftprovided with a pair of awngularly disposed eccentrics, a grooved sheave rotatably mounted upon each eccentric, a cable looped about one grooved sheave and connected to the rocking shaft to pull it in one direction, a cable looped about the other grooved sheave and connected to the rocking shaft to pull it in the opposite direction, and means for connecting the rocking shaft to the frame to move the frame back and forth.

11. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a rocking shaft, means for positively rocking the shaft back and fort-h, comprising a power shaft provided with two eccentrics, a cable looped about one eccentric to be actuated thereby and having one end anchored and its other end connected to the rocking shaft to rock it in one direction, a second cable looped about the other eccentric to be actuated thereby and having one end anchored and its other end connected to the rocking shaft to rock the shaft in the opposite direction, and means for connecting the rocking shaft to the frame to move it back and forth.

12. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a rocking shaft, means for positively rocking the shaft back and forth, comprising a power shaft provided with two eccentrics disposed at an angle of 180 to each other, a cable looped about one eccentric to be actuated thereby and having one end anchored and its other end connected to the rocking shaft to rock it in one direction, a second cable looped about the other eccentric to be actuated thereby and having one end anchored and its other end connected to the rocking shaft to rock the shaft in the opposite direction, and means for connecting the rocking shaft to the frame to move it back and forth.

13. In combination with a frame supp0rt ed for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a! shaft having a cable actuating portion off-set from the axis of the shaft, a pair of cables extending in opposite directions from said off-set portion to the frame, and means for rocking said portion through a limited angle to pull the cables back and forth, including a power actuated shaft having two eccentrics, means operated by one eccentric to rock the offset portion in one direction, and means operated by the other eccentric to rock the off-set portiOn in the other direction.

14. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a shaft having a cable actuating portion off-set from the axis of the shaft, 21 pair of cables extending in opposite directions from said off-set portion to the frame, and means for rocking said portion through a limited angle to pull the cables back and forth, including a power actuated shaft having two eccentrics, a cable looped about one eccentric and operable to pull-the off-set portion in one direction, and a second cable looped about the other eccentric and operable to pull the off-set portion in the opposite direction.

15. In combination with a frame supported for back and forth movement, operating means for the frame comprising a rocking shaft, means for positively rocking the shaft, comprising a pair of sheave-like elements rigidly secured to said shaft and having cable receiving grooves, a power shaft provided with a pair of eccentrics, a pair of cables each anchored at one end and having its other end secured to one of said sheavelike elements while an intermediate portion of each cable is looped about one of the eccentrics to be tensioned and slacked off thereby, and means for imparting the rocking movement of said shaft to the frame to move the frame back and forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT H. STEBBINS. 

